I’m looking for something for my wife. I just got her a Charter Arms On-duty. Only weighs 13-15oz unloaded.
The S&W airweight weighs about 13oz. The standard Hornady Critical Defense .38 SPL load in that gun is very comfortable to shoot. Probably not so much on the receiving end.
Your wife will do well with it. Much better than a .380 and much softer recoil that a 158 gr. load.